Before Sunrise
by Lady Shenzuki
Summary: Sesshomaru wakes up from his sleep only to find his sword missing.


**Characters:** Sesshomaru, Rin, Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango (maybe?)  
**Universe:** Alternate  
**Rated 'T' for suggested sex, coarse language, violence**  
Special thank you to my betas: **MaryShelley1979, pammazola**

* * *

Sesshomaru examined the clear liquid as though it was the first time it had touched the callused skin of his palms. Closing them, he allowed the water to flow through every crevice between his fingers. Upon reopening his hands, only droplets remained. Even water left behind some evidence of its presence.

"No." He whispered more to himself than to any ghost or ethereal being that could be present with him in the lavish bathroom. His eyes roved the expanse of the dark green and black tiles neatly arranged to form a mural of a mermaid pouring water over herself in an eternal bath. To reassure himself that he was in fact awake and no longer in a dream, he touched it. Touched her.

The mosaic mermaid remained stock still.

Something was not quite as it had been last night. It was the lingering scent of a human woman and she had been a virgin. She had done an excellent job of cleaning him with bath salts but his senses were not so easily deceived or were they?

Sesshomaru's mood turned black. Flexing his claws so his deadly talons were erect, he dug his clawed hand into the severed bicep of his amputated arm and drew blood. This was not a dream. He was very much alive. But where was _she_?

A vicious curse escaped his lips. He hated this feeling of being disoriented and drained. If he didn't know any better, he would say that he felt oddly sated. That thought made his mood even darker.

The bedroom appeared as pristine as it had early yesterday evening when the concierge led him into the first class suite. He stared for a few moments at the perfectly made sheets, with no signs of blood, rumpled only on his side, as though it would answer his question: Had he or had he not had a bedmate last night.

The one belly dancer he'd fancied the night before had been busy rubbing up against his advisor: Miroku. Could it have been her?

No. It were not bright green eyes that were haunting him this morning...

Maybe the culprit could still be in the room? According to the law of the land, human women had to wear protection charms to hide their scent.

He checked underneath the bed, from the largest space to the tiniest nook and found absolutely no one and absolutely no evidence except a faint virginal scent on his skin. It was not strong enough for him to hunt out the culprit and question why she had done what she did.

What he did remember were large, innocent brown orbs. Eyes that glinted like black gold in the moonlight. If only he had not been pressed for time, he could do a quick search for her but chasing after a woman with dark brown eyes was not sufficient evidence. Most human woman had mud colored orbs.

Recalling his training with his mentors, he sat cross legged on the cold, hard marble floor. Placing his one hand on his knee and closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply and released. He let his mind dwell on the dream. The more he thought, the more vivid the dream became...

Though he could not make out the face, he remembered flashes of big beautiful dark brown eyes, almost obsidian in the darkness of his room. Dark, thick untamed curls that beamed with hints of red reflection from the candlelight. Skin that was tanned from being in the sun but softer than the softest silk. The more he thought, the more he remembered the intense, sensual memories, shifting between reality and fantasy. A face, however, he could not put together. A new string of curses were about to leave his mouth when several rough, hard knocks on the door startled him.

"Open up the door, Sessh! I found our priestess."

It was Inuyasha. From the sound of it, he'd made himself _useful_ for once instead of complaining. His bemusement at Inuyasha's competency was short lived because the mysterious siren from the night before captured his thoughts and while he could live without knowing who she was, he could not live without knowing her purpose.

The silken purse with his gold coins had been left untouched, still attached to his sash. The bottle of wine had been left unopened still perched next to the sitting pillows. All of his belongings, his clothes and shoes were all intact so why had she...

Sesshomaru twitched his nose as her scent was gradually replaced by the smell of camels now wafting through the main door. Several more harsh knocks followed.

"You bastard! If I had known you would use our gold to sleep in a fuckin' inn, I wouldn't have left you out of my fuckin' sight. Do you any idea where Roku and I slept last night? And let me tell you-"

Giving a deaf ear to Inuyasha's complaints, he made his way to the clothes stand and quickly got dressed. Even a demon as powerful as he was helpless without evidence.

No woman had ever forced intimacy upon him and a virgin to boot! In his lifetime, he couldn't even remember ever speaking with a virgin. They were far too flimsy and fell in love too easily.

Before Inuyasha could bang on the door again, he unlocked the metal hinge and stared into his brother's scowling face.

"You smell like camel."

Inuyasha made a point of sniffing the air around Sesshomaru and his scowl deepened.

"And you smell like intercourse."

Grabbing his turban and securing the Tokijin in his sash, Sesshomaru's gaze flew from the bothersome morning crust in Inuyasha's eyes to the bright blue orbs of the bar girl from the night before peeking from behind Inuyasha's shoulder. The dark green chiffon of her headdress contrasted with the gold coins adorning her pale round face and the black ringlets that escaped her head dress. Her hands appeared far too soft and uncalloused for a bar girl.

"We should head to the western wastelands post haste." The clear blue skies were deceptive and only the nose of a demon could smell the sand storms arriving hours ahead of schedule.

"I hope your _priestess_ doesn't delay our arrival at the Vizier's outpost." Securing his cape around his shoulders, Sesshomaru stated.

"Her name's Kagome." Inuyasha pointed out. A bit too sternly for his liking but the urgency to make their way out of the town before the storm hit overrode the urge to correct Inuyasha's behavior.

"Of course." Sesshomaru replied.

As Inuyasha continued to stare at him with a questioning look, mouth slightly agape and eyebrows furrowed, he suppressed a groan.

"I do not read minds Inuyasha."

With an annoyed harrumph, Inuyasha crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow.

"You're an ungrateful, selfish bastard and I don't know why I'm doing this but where the fuckin' hell is your Tensaiga?"

Sesshomaru reached for his sash where he was sure the sword was resting...

He never cared much for the worthless thing and never mind that he wanted to trade it off to the assassins who travelled the sands collecting old and used metal scraps, but it belonged to him and it was his to keep or discard.

In disbelief, Sesshomaru reached for his sash again but only felt one hilt. Without batting a lash, he moved quickly around the room, tossing and turning everything until not a thing was left untouched. In his rage, he nearly demolished the room. Indeed, the woman had accomplished what no one else had: she had stolen something that belonged to him.

"Eh, you never cared much for that sword anyway. Listen, maybe Kagome can help us find it along with the Shikon Jewel?"

Inuyasha gulped as Kagome whimpered and clutched onto his shirt more tightly. Apparently the storm had already made its way into the hotel room. Sesshomaru's eyes were red, his clawed hand flexed and a dog like muzzle was slowly protruding from where his human mouth had been moments ago.

Inuyasha swore and, after shoving Kagome none too gently to the end of the hall, walked towards the demonic aura swirling furiously around his brother's now partially transformed frame.


End file.
